From Fan to Coordinator
by Fellykins
Summary: Hailey and Stella have watched contests since Stella was a baby. One day, Stella expresses a desire to participate in contests and learn how to be a coordinator, and it's up to Hailey to teach her how.


**Author's Note:** I'm writing this for Marilland's monthly writing prompt for March! It's just a quick little short story based on a girl who goes from being a fan of contests to actually participating in one. The perspective is in the point of view of the older sister.

Watching contests was always something that Stella and I did together. Ever since she was born and mom started leaving her with me, I would sit down on the couch with Stella and watch contests. It was a great way to introduce her to the Pokemon world.

"I want to learn how to be a coordinator!" Stella said one day as we were watching contests. I looked over at her.

"What?" I asked.

"I wanna be a coordinator!" Stella said. "Like the people on TV!"

I looked back at the TV and watched a coordinator release a Delcatty in a shower of sparkles and hearts. Stella's eyes were glued to the TV again. The Delcatty was appealing with Charm in an attempt to woo the judges over to her side. Once their appeal was done, it cut to a commercial break.

"Hailey, come on! Teach me how to be a coordinator!" Stella said. "Watching contests is boring! I wanna actually do them!"

I shrugged and got up off the couch. "Okay. Gimme a minute to get a couple Pokemon then."

I walked back into my room and looked at the six Poke Balls that sat on my desk. I wasn't much of a coordinator, but I pretty much had the basics down from watching contests on TV over the years with Stella. I had six Pokemon, but it was just a collection of six I'd picked up over the years. Going on a Pokemon journey or being a coordinator didn't really interest me. I wasn't really sure what my place in the Pokemon world was, but right now, it was being a mentor to my little sister.

I returned to the living room with two Poke Balls as the contest we were watching was coming to an end. "Come on, Stella. Let's go out back and do a practice round."

"Wait! We need a judge!" Stella said. She jumped up from the couch and paused for a moment, looking around the room. "I know! I'll get Mr. Fluffles to judge us."

I shrugged and made my way to wait by the back door for Stella to get Mr. Fluffles. I wasn't quite sure how a stuffed animal would judge a contest, but I wasn't going to question it. Doing so would upset Stella, and that was the last thing I wanted to deal with right now.

She returned with the brown stuffed teddy bear, and when we went outside, she sat him on one of the lawn chairs we had on the porch. We stepped out into the yard.

"Okay, Stella, this is Torch. He specializes in Fire type moves, so get him to use the Fire type moves you know of when you make your appeal to Mr. Fluffles," I said, handing her a Poke Ball.

"Got it!" Stella said. She tossed the ball into the air and out came a little Cyndaquil. The flames on his little back roared. "Oooh, a Cyndaquil!"

"Do you want to watch me appeal first, or do you want to make yours first?" I asked, holding the other Poke Ball in my hand.

"You go first! I wanna watch you do it first, Hailey!" Stella replied.

I shrugged. "Okay then," I replied, tossing my ball into the air. "Come on out, Minnie!"

The Pokemon that emerged from my ball was a Medicham. She nodded to me as she emerged from her ball.

"Alright Minnie, today, we're just practicing an appeal for a contest," I told her. "So I want you to lead off with a Fire Punch, then follow it up with an Ice Punch."

Minnie nodded as one of her fists became enveloped in flames. She swung it around for a moment, and then her whole body started to move, as if she were dancing. Suddenly, it was almost as if she was controlling the flames with her whole body and not just her fist. The other fist, the one that wasn't enveloped in flames earlier, became covered in ice, and steam surrounded her as the fire and ice collided and clashed with each other.

When the steam cleared, Minnie bowed. I nodded to Stella.

"Your turn," I told her.

"Oh," she said. I hoped my appeal hadn't curbed her initial enthusiasm for this. I guess I could've let her use Minnie, but I wasn't sure if she was willing to listen to Stella. It took long enough for her to listen to me. "Okay! I got it! Torch, use Ember and follow it up with a Flame Wheel!"

Torch looked to me for a moment, as if he was seeking approval to listen to Stella. I nodded, and Torch blew out a short burst of flames before curling up into a ball and rolling forward. The flames that were on his back surrounded his whole body, and as he rolled forward and into the ball of flames he'd created just a moment ago, he burst through it and emerged covered in the flames. When he landed, they were all gone.

I heard clapping when Torch landed, and I jumped. I looked around for a moment until I realized it was just mom. I hadn't even heard her come out onto the porch, but there she was.

"Mom!" Stella cried, running forward to hug her. "Did you see what Torch and I did? Did you, did you?"

"Yes, yes, I did," she said, laughing. "You did a good job!"

"Really?" Stella asked, looking up at mom with shining eyes.

"Yes, really," she replied. She looked at me too. "Both of you did. Now why don't you and your Pokemon come inside and get ready for dinner."

"Okay!" Stella said. "Come on, Torch! Let's go!"

I nodded and led the way for Minnie and I to go inside. Perhaps one day, I would be sitting in the stadium, watching Stella perform in real contests, or I'd be like Mr. Fluffles, who I grabbed before I came inside, watching Stella practice her appeals while I judged them.


End file.
